Tree removal work closes A82 at Pulpit Rock on Loch Lomond

Traffic lights have been at Pulpit Rock for more than 30 years

The busy A82 at Loch Lomond is being closed during the day as work continues to widen the road at Pulpit Rock.

The closures will be in effect from 09:30 until 15:30 from Tuesday until Thursday. This means traffic will be diverted at Tarbet and Crianlarich.

The restrictions will allow contractor Bear Scotland to remove trees and vegetation from roadside slopes.

The 12-month project to widen the traffic black spot has seen the Pulpit Rock section closed at night time.

Traffic lights have regulated the stretch of road for more than 30 years.

These will be removed when the project is completed, allowing two-way traffic to pass.

Engineering challenge

The project will also see about 0.5km of new road built and a new viaduct running parallel to the shore.

Eddie Ross, from Bear Scotland, said that work to remove trees and vegetation was a delicate operation.

"There's two aspects to it," he said.

"There's the very engineering challenging section adjacent to the Pulpit Rock site where the trees are clinging to a rock face, where we're having to go in, in a very controlled fashion, and take these down using specialist equipment.

"Tagged in with this, to make best use of the fact that the road is closed, we'll have about 40 employees down there working along the section that's closed and taking away the other branches and trees that overhang the road and could well become a problem in the future."